The move comes as private equity firms accelerate value creation timelines and increasingly rely on technology-driven strategies. Persistent is expanding its capabilities in this segment by combining engineering expertise, AI-led platforms, and a platform-driven approach to deliver faster outcomes.
In his new role, Hari will lead global strategy and growth across private equity clients, their portfolio companies, and professional services organisations. He will focus on driving revenue growth, enabling platform modernisation, improving operational efficiency, and supporting faster value realisation across portfolios.
Hari brings over 25 years of experience across strategy, technology, and business transformation. He previously served as a Partner at McKinsey & Company, advising global enterprises on corporate strategy and large-scale transformation. He has also worked with AI-native startups and held senior leadership roles at Interpublic Group and Digitas, where he led analytics and digital strategy initiatives.
Hari holds a PhD in Operations Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Sandeep Kalra, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Persistent, said, “Private equity is a strategic growth engine for Persistent. As investors push for faster value creation across their portfolios, the ability to move from strategy to execution at speed becomes critical. This is where Persistent stands apart. We combine engineering depth, AI-led platforms and execution discipline to deliver results that matter, from accelerating growth to improving operating margins and enabling exit readiness. Hari’s experience strengthens our ability to deepen our engagement with private equity firms and drive sustained performance across their portfolios.”
Hari S. Abhyankar said, “Private equity firms are operating in an environment where value creation needs to be faster, more predictable and more technology-driven than ever before. This requires a fundamentally different approach, one that integrates strategy with execution and scales results across the portfolio. Persistent’s engineering-led DNA and focus on AI-driven transformation position it strongly to address this need. I look forward to working with our clients and partners to accelerate portfolio performance and deliver measurable business results.”
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